Catalog
200 Cash - Wang Mang Third reform
| Issuer | China (ancient) |
|---|---|
| Year | 10-14 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 7.39 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Reverse description | Plain spade-shaped reverse with a raised rectangular border enclosing the characteristic bifurcated foot and a single raised vertical line running from the handle hole downward through the center of the body, dividing the field into two blank halves. The surface is otherwise featureless, showing natural bronze patina consistent with cast coinage of the Xin dynasty. |
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| Additional information |
Wang Mang's monetary reforms were less economic policy than ideological theater — an attempt to legitimize his Xin dynasty by invoking Zhou-era antiquity through archaic coin forms the population hadn't used in centuries. The Third Reform of 10 AD introduced a bewildering array of denominations simultaneously, including this 200-cash piece, as part of a system so complex and internally inconsistent that it collapsed under its own weight within years. Merchants and commoners reportedly continued using Han-era wu zhu coins in defiance of imperial edicts.
Hartill 9.21 is among the more commonly encountered denominations from this reform, though casting quality varies sharply between production centers.